Rev Up Your Beauty Regime with Journee

Interested in getting the latest beauty buzz? Join me, Sandra Witten, as your personal guide every week as I navigate you through the twists and turns of the latest beauty trends, it’s a jungle out there ladies—so let me be your guide! My number one must-have beauty product is Journée by Neocutis. This fabulous product has won the top honor by InStyle Magazine three years running. It received the coveted “Best Beauty Buy” for 2009, 2010, and 2011. It also won the Elle “Genius Award”. The secret? Enter peptides. This product boasts the Hummer of peptides—actual growth factors that turn on collagen at the speed of a Maserati.

What’s the best thing about driving this cutting edge beauty product? It contains four products in one: you get your daily dose of sunscreen, peptides, moisturizer, and anti-oxidants in a single step! You no longer need a pit crew to get out of the door in the morning. This baby will save you some serious time around the track…go ahead, take Journee for a test drive and rev up your collagen engine ladies! 
Tune in next week for more of the latest beauty buzz!

Ciao for now,

Sandra Witten, PA-C, MPAS

Oscar Night America Brings Red Carpet Glamour to Chicago

It seems appropriate that Chicago’s only Academy-sanctioned Oscar party, Oscar Night America 2012, should take place at the distinguished Gene Siskel Film Center on Sunday night. The swanky shindig did not disappoint red carpet-ready guests who were greeted by Chicago’s girl-about-town and host, Amanda Puck, and thoughtful movie-inspired frills.

PinkMemo contributor Jamie Ng Rose, in jewelry by Alex Agudo of Monsieur Pamplemousse and vintage dress,
with host Amanda Puck on right, wearing Space519 tuxedo jumpsuit

Aside from having the cushiest seats in town, the state-of-the-art film center allowed Chicagoans to experience Hollywood’s biggest night on––not one, but two––deluxe movie screens. And let’s just say; the ultra-crisp High-Definition broadcast seemed to bring the magic of the Kodak Theatre a little closer to home.

The viewing experience was complete with cheese and caramel movie theater popcorn by Gary Poppins––only the gourmet kind allowed here, of course, and impromptu commentary during intermissions and special raffle packages cleverly boxed up in popcorn buckets.

The bright lights of the Chicago theater district provided a dazzling backdrop for guests to mingle and enjoy cool cocktails like “The Doublewood Blood and Sand” and “Red Carpet Raspberry” whipped up by Chicago’s finest mixologists of William Grant & Sons. Esteemed MJ Catering served up a themed party menu with a nod to this year’s Oscar noms for Best Picture––Hawaiian Salmon (“The Descendants”), Asparagus and Gruyere Tart (“Midnight in Paris”), Thyme Beef en Croute (“Hugo”)… ironically, the big winner of the night, “The Artist,” was missing from this party’s roundup of Oscar-inspired nibbles.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Fashion Show 2012 Takes Center Stage This Spring

Come April 19, more than 70 style-strutting models will walk the runway in over 300 original garments designed and produced by the city’s top emerging talent from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The SAIC’s 78th annual show, Fashion 2012 promises to deliver all the stunning elements you would expect from professional runway shows like those at New York Fashion Week, right here at our very own Millennium Park.

SAIC’s Fashion 2011 (photo courtesy SAIC).

In a statement, SAIC president Walter Massey said, “SAIC’s full day of year-end fashion events is great for our students and the vibrancy of our city. As a flagship event on Chicago’s cultural calendar, this show provides our talented fashion design students a platform to share their innovative work and gives a sophisticated, creative audience a glimpse of the future of fashion and the next generation of designers.”

SAIC’s Fashion 2011 (photo courtesy SAIC).

And with such distinguished alumni like Halston, Cynthia Rowley, Maria Pinto, to name just a few (we’re so proud, we can’t help but name drop a little!), we promise this is one fashionable event with a new generation of designers you won’t want to miss. Check out behind-the-scenes photos here from students and their insights into the creative process.

WHEN: Thursday, April 19 (purchase tickets here)

Celebrate Hollywood’s Biggest Night with Chicago’s Only Official Oscar Party!

The magic and glamour of Hollywood will come alive in Chicago next Sunday with Oscar Night America, the only academy-sanctioned event in the city certain to delight film buffs and cinephiles alike.

Hosted by the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the event will feature a live High-Definition telecast of the 84th Annual Academy Awards presented in the Film Center’s two state-of-the-art movie theaters, a delicious dinner, a silent auction, impromptu prizes and raffle drawings throughout the night. And of course, no Oscar party would be complete without a red carpet upon arrival, hosted by none other than Chicago’s It Girl, Amanda Puck. So get your tickets here, then prepare to experience the spirit of Hollywood right here at home.

WHEN: February 26, 6:00pm to Midnight

WHERE: Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street

TICKETS: $100 General Admission, $200 VIP (purchase here)

Behold, BHLDN Arrives in Chicago Alas!

Over 300 stylish supporters turned out for Monday night’s glamorous launch party celebrating the arrival of online wedding and special occasion brand, BHLDN, and its second ever brick and mortar location in Chicago.

The romantic, vintage-inspired brand comes to life in the form of a 19th century European style townhouse with soaring 15-foot ceilings perfect for adorning with wings (of love, presumably), saturated French blue walls, a spiral staircase, and grand windows looking out to The Waldorf Astoria.

The two spacious levels hold well-edited attire and trimmings for the special day, including a curated collection of one-of-a-kind vintage treasures exclusive to the Chicago boutique.

The stunning concept store will take you through the complete experience, from the gown and accessories to the décor to intimates like lingerie and cologne. The bridal salon is staged with a runway-like display of mannequins showcasing the season’s gown collection, ethereal numbers in shades of champagne, blush and ivories. Equally impressive are the plush, boudoir-like fitting rooms, large enough for the bride, her family, and friends!

In the décor salon, customers can pull from stocked drawers and cubbies to design their desired event vision.

Ostrich feathers and beads come together in whimsical hairpieces in the accessories salon suited for Grecian goddesses.

And if you fancy something blue, try on the sweet polka dotted Bettye Muller heels with vintage beaded bows for size.

The well-branded event would not be complete without French-inspired fare and a silhouette cutout artist. BHLDN officially opened its grand doors to the public yesterday on Valentine’s Day, appropriately so.

VISIT: 8 East Walton Street, 312.573.2573

Maggie Kubley’s No Gift / No Surprise Delivers This Valentine’s Day

This Hallmark holiday break out of the usual romantic dinner and movie mold. Try a non-traditional outing to get in touch with your softer side with No Gift / No Surprise, a fully staged musical performance piece by Maggie Kubley, a local multidisciplinary performer.

Together with Chicago-based modern dance company, We Stand Sideways, Kubley presents a Vagina Monologues-esque story about a woman and her journey through the muck and madness of a broken heart. The multi-media installation promises to wow you with enthralling elements of video, photography, music, and dance choreography as it takes audiences inside the mind of a love-drug junkie struggling to sweat out a breakup.

We promise, No Gift / No Surprise has a happy ending.

Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12, 8:00 pm, The Den Theater, 1333 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Purchase tickets here.

Food for Thought: Feast Exhibit at the Smart Museum Elevates Food and Art Movement

If you’ve ever wanted a taste of a Night at the Museum experience minus the Ben Stiller antics, beginning February you can join the Smart Museum of Art for a new interactive exhibition called Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art.

via Smart Museum of Art

Over 30 artists will orchestrate shared experiences with food and drink to spark new ways of thinking about the world around us, including dining with artists in the galleries after-hours, ritualized soul food dinners and even a radical show where the gallery will become an active bar with patrons taking part in the work by drinking beer. The participatory meals, projects, and salons taking place in the museum as well as in commissioned public spaces throughout Chicago will address the social, commercial, and political structures that surround the experience of eating together.

There’s nothing more enticing than good food, except perhaps art with food. Learn more about how you can join the feast.

VISIT: 5550 S. Greenwood Avenue, 773.702.0200

Sweetheart Macarons for Your Valentine

This year for Valentine’s Day think outside the usual box of chocolates. How about a box of 24 French macarons? Parisian chef Eddy Rocq created a special Sweetheart Collection of macaron cookies. The heart-shaped cookies are created fresh daily, and are the perfect gift for your sweetie on the fast approaching holiday.

The Sweetheart Collection includes 2-dozen French macaron cookies in four mouth-watering flavors. Dark chocolate with a Valrhona chocolate ganache filling, Raspberry with a white chocolate ganache filling, Peach Mango filled with fruit ganache and last but not least Red Velvet filled with creamy bourbon vanilla.

This year surprise your Valentine with these sweet treats. To order click to the Rocq Macaron website.

Net-A-Porter Hosts Exclusive Soiree for Chicago’s Best Bloggers

Chicago’s status as a fashion city is growing fast in the eyes of global powerbrokers like online luxury retailer Net-A-Porter. The prescient combination of Chicago’s own stylish First Lady, Michelle Obama, with high-profile boutiques and a fashion-hungry citizenry has brought the fashion spotlight to the Windy City like no other time in history.

Nicole Williams of Net-A-Porter, right, in Michael Kors.

On January 11^th, Net-A-Porter hosted an exclusive party for Chicago’s most stylish social media stars. Present at the event were Jeff Kieslich of The Midwestyle, Anna Wisniewski of See Anna Jane, Kelsey Kreiling of Laundry Magazine, and the Style Block girls along with 20 other stylish bloggers, all of whom were handpicked to attend.

Jeff Kieslich holding Jena Gambaccini’s custom Proenza Schouler PS1

Erin Brennan, Bridget White, Chelsea Lavin, Jena Gambaccini, Corri McFadden.

The soiree featured a lovely tongue-in-cheek drink menu that paired classic drinks with fashion’s most important designers like Christian Louboutin and Karl Lagerfeld. Perhaps most perfectly of all, the ‘Black Manhattan’ was re-named the ‘Rick Owens.’

In conclusion, Chicago’s brightest style bloggers spent the evening mingling with one another while lusting over the luxury fashion depicted in the Cruise 2012 Net-A-Porter lookbook.

*Photos by Jena Gambaccini

Be on Time (and Stylish!) in the New Year with Division Street Watch Co.’s Timepiece-Inspired Jewelry!

We love an on-trend sparkly statement necklace as much as anyone else, but every once in awhile you come across a piece so distinct and timeless (excuse the pun!) that you want to wear it forever, like Division Street Watch Co.’s new collection of timepiece-inspired jewelry and accessories.

1930’s steel and brass pocket watch keys on a 27″ brass chain

The watch company’s owner, Steve Evavold, designs and makes each piece by hand in his cozy Division Street shop using vintage watch pendants, sterling silver nurses watches, pocket watch fobs and pocket watch keys. The collection is a perfect reconciliation of fashion meets function––all timepieces are lovingly restored to good, working condition. The pieces range in price from $195 to $400.

1920’s pocket watch vest chain with blue cut glass spinner fob

Victorian ruby glass and gold pocket watch fob on a 14k gold chain

1930’s gold filled watch case “shaker” on a 14k gold chain

Division Street Watch Co. is a one-of-a-kind vintage watch shop that carries a hand-curated and ever-changing selection of unique and rare fine watches. The shop specializes in Swiss wristwatches created between 1945 and 1970.

VISIT: 2017 West Division Street, 312.714.6083